For years, taprooms in Baja California would bring San Diego craft beer south of the border. Now, the tides have turned, and Sergio Tostado Valdez is the latest businessman to bring Baja brews north of the border with Lucky Irish Beer Garden, opening this weekend.
Valdez operates three Lucky Irish pubs across Ensenada and Valle de Guadalupe, but the Bonita beer garden—the group’s first outpost in the U.S.—will serve Mexican craft beer from across Mexico, including Insurgente (Tijuana), Cervecería de Colima (Colima), Wendlandt Brewery (Ensenada), and Cerveza Cardera (Ensenada), plus locals like Burgeon, Goal, and Fall. For now, Valdez says the beer garden won’t offer the beer he brews in Mexico, but he plans to invite brewers from across Mexico to collaborate at Citizen Brewers in Mission Gorge to serve in the future.
Sarah Lopez of Bonita Food Market and chef Jorge Aranda of Monterrey Ribeye Burgers are the food partners for Lucky Irish. Expect American-style pub food, like truffle fries and burgers made with ribeye meat, and some more elevated dishes that will rotate with different guest chefs every month. They’ll also be doing beer and wine pairings (wines from Valle de Guadalupe). Despite the name, don’t expect much Irish pub grub to dominate the menu.
“We do sell Guinness,” Valdez chuckles, saying they do celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with corned beef sandwiches and Irish stew.
The food concept is still in its final planning stages. Valdez says he hopes to throw a grand opening party with both Monterrey Ribeye Burgers and brewers/vintners sometime this month. Hours will run 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, open until midnight on weekends.
“We’re going to have live music, food from Monterrey… [and] the best beers, from what I know, from California and Mexico,” he promises. “Everything’s coming together.”
Lucky Irish Beer Garden soft opens on Friday, January 17 at 4068 Bonita Road.
Beth’s Bites
- WhistlePig is one of my all-time favorite brand names (you can’t tell me that’s not fun to say!!), and the famed American whiskey brand is heading to George’s at the Cove. On Friday, January 24 at 6 p.m., guest chefs Jason Knibb from Nine-Ten and Mike Reidy from The Fishery join chefs from George’s to host a family-style feast with accompanying WhistlePig samples, plus a few cocktails just for fun. Is it just me, or does a dram of Boss Hog X inspire some… creative visuals?
- TIL (that’s Today I Learned for those not chronically on Reddit) that Q&A Restaurant and Oyster Bar closed inside the Brick Hotel in Oceanside. Even as a raw oyster fiend, I can live with the change, because now it’s The Lobby Tiki Bar & Grill and features a whole bunch of rum drinks. I’m a beer and cider girl at heart, but when the urge strikes, I run to rum, so yes I will have a Mai Tai.
- I finally scored a reservation to eat at Books & Records for an all-too-rare date night with my husband. What can’t I miss? Let me know at [email protected] or ping my Insta here with your food and drink suggestions!
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